It looks likes I've talked my Mother into a mind-spangling trip out East to Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon, Land of Gross National Happiness, Last Enclave of Tibetan Buddhism, Land of Sensible and Well-intentioned Politics, Heartland of a Rare Thing Called 'Inspired Leadership' (not sure how many of those titles are official).
So, the first tourist-tax-free-trip to Bhutan has now gone to the only bidder ... ... one still remains ... ... It's a once in lifetime opportunity to see if you can catch a Thunder Dragon without a proper guide (you get me instead - I have a sharp eye for thunder dragons and together we'll have the freedom to roam)...
As ever, the small print:
(we will either have to marry and fabricate a romantic past to get beyond the red tape, or if deemed more convenient, applicants may wish to seek a back-dated adoption from my parents)
Alternatively...
The Bhutan Canada Foundation are currently recruiting for next years cohort of volunteer teachers.
- Do you want to experience life in a culture that values happiness over cash?
- Do you want to escape the flimsy stack of crumbling economic cards that is Europe?
- How about working in a classroom where chairs are used for sitting on instead of as projectiles? In a school where everybody says 'Happy Morning, Sir', and means it?
- Do you want to give more than you've probably ever given in work and get more back than you can imagine?
- Do you want to shake things up and remind yourself that YES!... life really can still have bonkers twists and turns in it?
Call the BCF Team! Ba-da-da-daaaa....
They're really quite nice and they have a plan that seems to be coming together.
Here's some of the kids you might be teaching (photos from the follow-up science exhibition where the individual classes went in for half an hour each)...
Some words of advice to the willing... you're coming here to be an exemplar, sharing your experience of more developed education systems and sharing skills, not just in teaching but in IT, language and other aspects. The teachers here are professional and well-trained - the teacher training here is a significantly longer affair than the perfunctory '10 months and throw you in a classroom' UK approach, so...
1. It helps to be secure in your teaching practice before you come. I say it helps... I think you should feel an obligation in this respect (to yourself and to the schools here) and rack up a few years before applying.
2. It really helps if your not coming here to repair some gaping chasm in your existence. Bhutan is not a self-help group and, contrary to some opinions, being here doesn't automatically facilitate life-changing enlightenments. You'll grow and develop in all manner of ways by being in this very special place, but your motive should be to give in the first instance.
3. As usual with teaching, bring your sense of humour. I can't imagine how any teacher gets by in a classroom without this, so it shouldn't be a problem.
4. And finally.... this isn't a holiday. be prepared to work hard. I'm working harder than I have at any time previous, but the rewards, as you'd expect, are also bigger. And you do get opportunities to go explore, though not as frequently as you might expect.
That's it. The frenzy of gratuitous formatting is over. I promise I will never use as many fonts or font sizes again. Why? On the one-hand its bawdy and nobody likes it, and on the other hand, this is 'Blogger' - like so many other platforms that we all persist with sans grumble, it is poorly designed, badly maintained and useless. God knows how you handle it without sufficient rudimentary html skills to deal with the sudden onset of white backgrounds or other such nonsense it throws at you. Reminds me of the decline of the humble supermarket donut - another shocking result of the complacency and lazy acquiescence of us, the decadent consumers of the world. What happened to the stereotype of the complaining Brit? We've no time for it any more. I digress...
1. It helps to be secure in your teaching practice before you come. I say it helps... I think you should feel an obligation in this respect (to yourself and to the schools here) and rack up a few years before applying.
2. It really helps if your not coming here to repair some gaping chasm in your existence. Bhutan is not a self-help group and, contrary to some opinions, being here doesn't automatically facilitate life-changing enlightenments. You'll grow and develop in all manner of ways by being in this very special place, but your motive should be to give in the first instance.
3. As usual with teaching, bring your sense of humour. I can't imagine how any teacher gets by in a classroom without this, so it shouldn't be a problem.
4. And finally.... this isn't a holiday. be prepared to work hard. I'm working harder than I have at any time previous, but the rewards, as you'd expect, are also bigger. And you do get opportunities to go explore, though not as frequently as you might expect.
That's it. The frenzy of gratuitous formatting is over. I promise I will never use as many fonts or font sizes again. Why? On the one-hand its bawdy and nobody likes it, and on the other hand, this is 'Blogger' - like so many other platforms that we all persist with sans grumble, it is poorly designed, badly maintained and useless. God knows how you handle it without sufficient rudimentary html skills to deal with the sudden onset of white backgrounds or other such nonsense it throws at you. Reminds me of the decline of the humble supermarket donut - another shocking result of the complacency and lazy acquiescence of us, the decadent consumers of the world. What happened to the stereotype of the complaining Brit? We've no time for it any more. I digress...
...now... download that application form and kick-start the Bhutanical chapter of your existence.
Happy Monday!
Happy Monday!
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